, 1887-08-04
ADULTEEATION OF FOOD.


Formerly at Egyptian feasts hand
somely embellished mummies were
passed to guests as signifying that
life is short at best, and therefore as
much pleasure as possible should be
derived from 1t. This idea will
never be adopted in America or
other modern nations, but 1t is not
unlikely that chemical analysis of
the food served at dinner will be
necessary after awhile. He who en-
joys the wonders of this age cannot
help feeling sorry for his estors
who were unacquainted go h the
microscope, and did not ] n " how
much animal life lurk in the
water they drew in their oaken
buckets. Those Egyptian who OBJ
served the mummy and refilled
their glasses may have felt very
comfortable about it. Their wine
was doubtless Of excellent quality,
but an analyst of to-day who could
not discover poison lurking in it
would not be worthy his calling;
and even the nectar which Hebe
served to her Olympian associates
may have been "doctored" behind
the scenes. But food adulteration,
made possible by the advance in
chemistry and other branches of
science, is serious matter. The
cooking school--an institution only
too rare-has done good work in
showing evils in the preparation of
food, but to procure wholesome raw
materials for the larder Is more i'm
portant. That was good remark of
ThOreau's, that circumstantial evil
dence, as when trout is discovered
in the milk, is sometimes pretty
conclusive. The trouble of late
years is that dishonest tradesmen
are sharp enough to fish out the
trout and so complete the deception
of their customers.
Owing to public carelessness many
other articles of food are consumed
without regard to the possible ex-
istence of taint or poison. The tele-
graph brings notice occasionally of
fatalities caused by "carmine" ice
cream, pickles given an unnatural
green tint by copper compounds, or
imperfectly canned meats. So wide
spread became the manufacture and
sale of oleomargarine that congress
sional legislation became essential to
public safety. Even now, though |
dealers are required to label the imi-
tation article, the sale is very large,
purchasers buying it with full
knowledge of it's CHARACTER. So far
this substance is said to be harmless,
but it is only question of time un-
til trickery will be employed to in
crease the manufacturers profit.
The general agitation regarding |
the water supply of cities has been
productive of some good, and shows
that where sentiment is fully
aroused, the demand for a pure arti-
Gle is recognized and met.
How to furnish good water for
great cities is no insignifi-
cant question, but nineteenth-centu-
ry science is answering it. Private
wells should he watched to prevent
the entrance of anything besides the
two gaseous elements which the
schoolboy will tell you constitutes
water.
Things may not be 50 bad as repre-
sented, but they are doubtless
enough. Indeed, if Malthus were
now alive he would be so startled at
possible mortality attending food
adulteration that the idea of a popu.
lation so dense that its necessities
could not be supplied would not
enter his head. TO recur to the oleo.
margarine law, its principle seems to
be good in requiring the use of III
bells, stating the nature-Or lack Of
nature-of the compound. A spade
is spade. Vinegar made in the
chemists laboratory is a mixture Of
acids and nothing more, and should
be so marked. Let frauds be honest
iy labeled and every adultera.ion
exposed. There Is no reason in the
world why articles of food sold to-
day should not be as perfect to eye
and taste, and as free from adultera-
tion, as the "honey of grapes" offered
for sale at the ancient Joppa Gate.
The sixth yearly meeting Of the
American Forestry congress will he